Welcome back to Snail House Literary! This month, we’re publishing our longest story yet! A thrilling cat tale by Z.Y.F. Yang.
December 2025
Too Good to Be True
By Z.Y.F. Yang
“There was a BOOM and a blast of bright light,” Mother said. “A tiny speck appeared in the center of the explosion and grew and grew until it was the size of an ostrich egg! It wiggled, and wiggled, and wiggled… nothing happened. It seemed dead. Then CRACK the whole egg shattered into a million pieces and Grandpa stepped out, full-fledged, and started forming the world. Now go to sleep, it’s late.”
I thought that I would never be anything special. After all, I was just a tiny kitten living in a town with my brother, Stone, and my sister, Robin. I dreamt of doing something that benefited the whole world like my grandpa did. Mother told us story after story about how Grandpa made the world a better place for Grandma and Dad. I wanted to be great, clever, and, above all else, honored like Grandpa in his temple. My name is Lightning Moonstone from Field Town.
Thump, thump, thump. Dad came in carrying a rabbit and a mouse. He had just caught dinner. We all sat together in our cozy den.
“What a good day of hunting,” Dad said. “At this rate, we could have enough for another family feast!”
“Very good dear, now eat your food before it goes cold,” said Mother. “I have some exciting news to share. Lightning, you will be very happy to hear this.”
“What is it, what is it!?”
“Grandpa asked us to help repair the temple tomorrow!”
“Really?! Awesome!” I was so excited I did a little dance.
“What happened to it?” asked Robin
“Do I have to go?” Stone squeaked out. “What if I mess up and Grandpa yells at me?”
“It was hit by an earthquake, and yes, you have to go because there will be nobody to watch you,” Mother explained.
The next day, we headed out to grandpa’s temple. I had a lot of fun building! Then something hit my head. When I looked down, I saw a rock the size of my paw! It didn’t hurt that much so I quickly forgot about it. While I was fixing the moss beds, I saw Grandpa talking to some of the workers and a small cat whose scent was weirdly familiar. He was saying that they needed to execute the plan right then, and that they would head to the village after some preparation. I pretended not to hear, but I couldn’t help wondering, what was he talking about? I had no idea, though.
I didn’t know who to tell so I tried to keep quiet. That plan was busted when I told my littermates the next week. Robin thought he was acting suspicious, after all, she never really liked our grandpa. Stone, on the other paw, thought quite the opposite: he was too scared of what Grandpa might do to him if he found out what he meant. I forgot all about it the next day. A year went by and me and my siblings still didn’t remember. Until one day… We were playing mossbat, a game where you hit a moss ball with a stick and someone else catches it. And it hit me like a rock dropping in the river: I suddenly realized Grandpa’s plan
I asked my mother and father if Robin, Stone and I could go on an adventure. My mother said it was too dangerous, but my dad only smiled. “You guys can go if you want,” he said, “but not until you’re twelve.”
So we waited until we were twelve, but luckily we were already nine. The three years passed quickly. We started packing. Our mother packed us nine mice, one rabbit, and fifteen lizards. I went into my room to get ready. I took out my sack that was made of leaves and flower stems. I put three mice, five lizards, and the rabbit into it. We were going to head out first thing in the morning after we said goodbye. The next morning we said goodbye to our parents, promising that we would be fine. My mother was crying as we headed out toward the horizon. As we passed the town border, my vision started to go blurry, I staggered a little.
“Why’d you stop?” Robin asked.
I was about to answer when everything went black.
I woke up inside a little cottage with shelves lined with all kinds of herbs. I closed my eyes, I was so tired!
“He’s up,” someone said. “Lightning? Lightning! Lightning Moonstone!”
I opened my eyes. Robin was standing right in front of me with Stone not two paws away.
“What’s happening?” I asked, well, more like groaned. Apparently she had understood me. “Well… you passed out and we carried you to the nearest place for help, which was this
cottage. We met Starlight here and she put some weird stuff on a leaf and had us help you swallow it,” she said.
“For the record, it’s not weird and it was to help ease the pain,” Starlight said. “Um…thanks… ” I blushed.
“Okay, enough of the sappy talk, let’s go,” Starlight said.
“Wait, what do you mean, ‘lets go,’ are you coming with us?”
“Yes, I am.”
“We asked Starlight to come with us in case someone gets hurt,” Stone said, smiling at her. For some reason, I felt a twinge of jealousy.
“Okay, but before we go, let’s warn everyone we see about our grandpa.” We walked around
town telling everyone until the whole town knew.
“Starlight! Do you want me to tell you why we are going on this journey?” Stone asked, after
we left the town she lived in.
“Stone, I think Lightning should tell her, he’s the reason that we are even going,” Robin said.
“Okay, okay,” Stone grumbled.
“And now we’re here,” I finished.
“Wow, I didn’t think you would be able to believe such bad things about your Grandpa,” Starlight said.
“I know, right?” I said. Hahaha we laughed.
I saw Stone looking at us, he blushed and looked away. “Hey, why don’t you go have a talk with Robin?”
“Oh… ok,” Starlight said sadly, walking away. I slowed down.
“What’s up brother?”
“Nothing,” Stone said.
“Come on, I know you too well, something is definitely bothering you.”
“I … it’s … you,” he sighed. “Can I tell you later?”
“Sure brother.” We walked in silence for a bit.
“It’s just you and Starlight,” he said, finally.
“Oh… It’s ok. I get it. She’s nice and… well… you know.”
“Thanks,” he said with a sigh.
“You’re welcome brother.” A day later we passed through another town called Thunderbolt. We hurried around town telling everyone of our grandpa. We split up to cover more ground faster. I went to the town exit, Robin went to the town square, and Stone wanted to go to the entrance.
***
If they had stayed for a minute longer, we would have met up with them. I had just reached town after hearing that my grandchildren had left for some random place. Why had they gone? That was my question. Had they figured out my plan? I set out to fulfill it right away. Lightning would have made an excellent pupil, but I guess I’ll be stuck with what I have right now. “Call in my apprentice.”
“Of course sir,” said Thorn, my most trusted guard. “Sir, your apprentice is here,” he said.
“Ah, my little apprentice, you are finally here,” I said.
“Sorry I was late, I had to convince them to let me go near the entrance,” he said.
“So what is your report?”
“Well, they know that you have a plan to complete, but that is all they know. Lightning might know more, but I don’t know exactly what.”
“Thank you, you may go. Meet me at the canyon for our next meeting”
“Yes, sir!”
***
“We are done telling all the towns we and Grandpa know of, let’s go rest before returning home. I think I saw a canyon that has shelter and prey we could hunt,” Stone said.
“I think that’s a great idea, let’s go,” I said.
There was a rustle next to me. I opened my eyes and saw Stone getting up and leaving the cave. I got up slowly, careful not to wake Starlight or Robin. Stone headed to a cave on the side of a river. I followed him, careful not to make a sound. I crept up to the mouth of the cave and peeked inside. There I saw Grandpa, his general Thorn, his adviser Misty, and Stone!
“I am here, sir,” my brother said.
“About time,” growled Thorn.
“Be quiet! When I am dead, you will all be under his command,” Grandpa said.
“Be nice, Thorn,” Misty said, smirking at him.
“So what is your report,” asked Grandpa.
“The group has warned all the villages we know of and is resting right now.”
“Pesky little gnats,” he spat. “Take me and my soldiers to him.”
I almost gasped. Stone, my own brother, was going to betray us. I couldn’t let that happen.
“No you won’t,” I growled.
“L-l-l-Lightning,” Stone stammered.
“Ah, so my little grandson has finally figured out my plan,” Grandpa said. “There is nothing you can do now. You may have warned all those towns, but my soldiers have taken over, so now no one can get in or out. Such a shame you had to go against me. You would have made an excellent pupil.”
“I won’t let you hurt my friends.”
“Grandpa, he is right. You can’t hurt your own kin, and you promised me Starlight.”
“I know, I am just going to take them hostage.”
I yowled to warn the others who came running to me.
“What’s going on? Who is that… Stone… HOW COULD YOU!” Robin yelled.
“Are you okay,” Starlight asked me, brushing her pelt against mine.
“Yes, I’m okay. All right, Grandpa, I am ready. Bring it on!”
“Attack!” Grandpa screamed.
We fought, and it was hard because they had more cats, but we had more skill. I eventually got Grandpa pinned down and raked his belly. He screamed and begged for mercy, which I granted. But on the condition that he would stop and tell us why they had done all this. Of course, he agreed. I let go of him and he called off his soldiers.
“Now, tell us why you did all this,” I asked.
“Field Town is weak. It needs to join other villages if I ever want to hope for glory.”
“If that is the case, why do you have Stone helping you?”
“He wanted Starlight for his mate, so I agreed to help him if he spied on you and told me everything he knew about what you were doing.”
“Okay, now Robin, Starlight, help round everyone up. Stone, I hope you will help us now.”
“I will,” he said.
“Good, now go help the others.” And that was that. The battle was won. And the world had been saved. By me.
A few years later, Starlight had my kits. We named the light gray tabby Wind, the black one with white paws Shadow, the sleek silver one River, the dark gray kitten Sky, and the last one, a deep golden tabby, Thunder. I had a feeling that they would change the cat world forever, just like I had dreamed of as a kit.
Epilogue
I woke up to the sound of Mother humming and Father getting ready for work. What in the world, I thought. I went into the main room and saw them getting breakfast ready as if
I hadn’t just saved the world from Grandpa’s plot.
My mother said, “Oh, thank goodness you’re okay! You passed out after a rock hit you on the head at Grandpa’s temple!”
Then I realized it had all been a dream.
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